Night Kiss by E.T. Malinowski

Since returning home to Seoul from their world tour, Bam Kiseu has been very busy with filming a new video, fan meets, individual appearances and spokesmodel engagements. Despite such a hectic schedule, they put together something special for their hometown fans; a spring concert. I was able to sit down with Bam Kiseu today in the hopes of giving you a bit more insight into the men who make up the group, Cheongul, HanYin, and Ki-tae, and maybe even a sneak peek at what’s in store for tonight’s performance.

Bam Kiseu is huge in the pop genre, did you ever expect to be one of the biggest bands in Korea?

Cheongul: No, not in the least.

HanYin: We hoped to be successful, sure, but this was more than what we expected.

Ki-tae: Maybe for you two.

Cheongul and HanYin glare at Ki-tae but there doesn’t seem to be any heat in it. He just smirks back. There is a camaraderie between the three of them, a closeness that is stronger than I’ve seen with other groups, even those who have reached the ten-year mark. It’s as if these three have been together so much longer than they have.

Are you dating anyone?

Of the three of them, I certainly didn’t expect Cheongul to blush and duck his head. HanYin’s smile is bright and happy. Even Ki-tae’s expression is more genuine and less professional idol. It seems they each have someone in their lives.

Cheongul: Yes

HanYin: I am.

Ki-tae: We all are.

To say I wasn’t curious would be a lie.

Anyone we know?

Cheongul is the only one to respond.

Cheongul: No.

I can tell I’m not going to get any more out of them. We’ll just have to keep a close eye on them to see who is by their side the most, dear readers. It seems three lucky individuals have captured the hearts of Bam Kiseu.

What do you enjoy most about the industry?

They look at each other for a few moments, almost as if in silent communication. Then they nod and turnback to me.

Cheongul: Being able to share our music with our fans.

HanYin: Being able to perform it for our fans around the world.

Ki-tae: Helping to inspire the next generation of idols, to encourage them to keep reaching for their dreams and never stop.

Do they truly mean these words? I like to think so. Bam Kiseu’s music touches a lot of people. If it didn’t, they wouldn’t have so many fans.

When, if ever, do you regret being famous?

This question earns some wry chuckles. We all know there are aspects of being an idol that aren’t so great. I have to wonder what parts of being idols bother them.

Cheongul: When I go shopping, especially if it’s for my home studio. I love our fans, but it can be a pain if I’m trying to replace a piece of equipment and keep having to stop to take photos or give autographs.

HanYin: Being chased through the airports. I don’t like flying to begin with and when we land, I just want to get home, but the fans seem to know our flight schedules better than we do and it gets really crowded. It’s hard to keep smiling when you’

Ki-tae: I guess it depends on where we are. There are some places where we’re not instantly recognized and so some everyday activities are easier to do. I mean when we were in America, I could run out for something small and I think I was recognized a handful of times. When I’m home, I can’t step outside my door without a crowd. We love our fans. We just need some space to breathe every now and then.

HanYin-ssi, you’re known for bringing food to the set when shooting a video or commercial, how did that start and why?

HanYin: All of our production teams work really hard. Some of them even skip meals to continue working. When we were shooting our first music video, one of our technicians collapsed and had to be taken to the hospital. I didn’t like that, so I started bringing food to the set to make sure everyone had something to eat. People can’t do their best if their hungry or tired, so I make sure they are neither.

Ki-tae: He’s a bit of a mother hen.

HanYin pokes Ki-tae in the side for that comment causing him to laugh and squirm away Cheongul just shakes his head as he watches them, a disapproving older brother.

Many idols have lyricists during the beginning and sometimes through most of their careers, yet, you seem to write all your own music. Why is that?

Cheongul: BLE has always believed in encouraging the creativity of its idols. As trainees we were taught the fundamentals of songwriting as part of our lessons. Sometimes, it’s a matter of skill and sometimes, it’s a matter of getting pleasure from writing a song. Not everyone enjoys it, we do.

HanYin: I agree. I’m always bringing new songs into the studio and making these two listen to them, but I’m not nearly as bad as Ki-tae-ya. I’ve gotten calls at 4 a.m. demanding that I listen to a melody or beat, or even an entire verse and give feedback.

Ki-tae: I’m not that bad.

His pout is absolutely adorable but it doesn’t seem to work on HanYin and Cheongul at all.

Cheongul, HanYin: You are, too.

Cheongul: He writes all the time and when he gets in that mode, he doesn’t pay attention to the time before calling us to listen to what he’s done.

HanYin: He also has a tendency to not sleep or eat.

Ki-tae: I can’t argue, really. I do write a lot. I’ve been known to bring twenty new songs into the studio after a single day off.

I can’t help but stare at Ki-tae so, of course, I catch the blush on his face. He’s embarrassed by this fact about himself. I, on the other hand, am very impressed. 20 songs… in a day?

How do you determine which songs to put on an album?

Cheongul: Usually by a common theme.

HanYin: Sometimes, there’s a shared element in the beat or the melody.

Ki-tae: Occasionally, it’s all three. We’ll go through all of the songs and see which ones just sort of fit together. Other times, we’ll plan the songs out to mesh together, like we did with Call the Dragon, Phoenix Rising, and Tiger’s Pride. There’s a fourth one to that set, but we haven’t gotten beyond the title, yet; Turtle’s Patience. We’re planning on writing that one for the next album.

HanYin: We’ll listen to the songs individually, tweak them, play around with the beats, that sort of thing, until we all agree it works and then we record it.

Cheongul: It’s always a group effort.

Would you want to do this again?

Ki-tae: This interview? Sure.

He’s such a smart aleck.

Cheongul: She means be an idol, baka.

Ki-tae: I knew that, just teasing. Cheongul-a is too serious sometimes. We have to keep him on his toes.

HanYin: Ignore them. They do this all the time. I don’t think any of us would say no to being idols again. I mean we are who we are. For all the things that make us crazy, there are more that make us happy.

While HanYin is speaking, Ki-tae sticks his tongue out at Cheongul. I’ve never seen retribution promised in a look until now. I have no doubt Ki-tae is due for some payback when Cheongul gets him alone. Ki-tae went from serious idol to mischievous boy and back in the blink of an eye, but Cheongul stayed professional. Yet, I’ve seen clips and videos of him being just as silly as the other two. I wonder what gets him to loosen up?

What do you feel is the best song you’ve recorded?

They do that silent communication again. It’s almost eerie.

Cheongul: Collectively, we like Crossing Time.

HanYin: It’s about love lasting an eternity.

Ki-tae: It’s about continuing to search for that love until you find it no matter how long it takes. Everyone searches for love, right? Some people give up. Others don’t. Crossing Time is about not giving up.

What genre of music would you like to explore together as a group?

Cheongul: I’d like to do more with the rock/pop combination, maybe incorporate more rap elements.

HanYin: I like that idea. I’d like us try more in the folk genre, give it a pop twist, maybe. I like some of the ballads and traditional folk music.

Ki-tae: I think even as a tenor you did well with the growl in Call the Dragon. We all had that vocal training and with more practice and maybe working with someone who sings in that style frequently, we could put something together. I like the idea of working in more rock elements. The beat drops can blend with a tight guitar riff. As far as the folk music, I think we could take some traditional music and include some EDM elements, perhaps take some myths and legends, and turn them into songs, tell traditional stories through music. That’d be cool. It’s not so much a musical genre, but it would be interesting to play with.

And just like that, I see them become immersed in the creative process, playing ideas off each other in these few brief moments. It gives me just a glimpse of what it must be like when they’re in the studio together. They seem to mesh so well together.

We’ve heard how the Bam Kiseu sound has changed, has the band dynamic changed? If so, how?

Cheongul: I don’t think it has, not really. We still make decisions as a group and we’re still happy with how things are working.

Ki-tae: It’s a case of why change what works?

HanYin: Me neither. I think we still function the same now as we did in the beginning. I mean Cheongul-a is still the leader and we let him because he’s, honestly, the most responsible one of us.

That earns a smile from Cheongul and there’s no denying he is the most… sober of the three of them. It’s not hard to picture him as the most responsible one of the group.

There have never been any rumors about contention between you three, do you guys ever argue?

Cheongul: Yeah, we have arguments, especially when Ki-tae-ya is being a pain in the… studio, making us sing the same segment over and over, and over a million times.

Ki-tae: Or when Cheongul-a is being stubborn and won’t sing like I know he can.

HanYin: And then I have to throw them both out to cool off before I lock them in separate closets and finish the tracks myself. Once we’ve all calmed down, we come back into the studio and everyone gets a chance to talk. Once we’re done talking, we try again. Eventually, we get over it because, in the end, this is our job and we love it.

Again, I see the camaraderie between them. They may fight, but it doesn’t change the closeness between them.

How different are your stage personas from who you are as individuals?

HanYin: Cheongul-a is more talkative onstage! And he smiles more.

Cheongul: That’s because I have to worry about you two more offstage than on!

Ki-tae: No, you just really love being onstage as much as we do. Sometimes, he’s just really intense no matter where he is. HanYin-a is more… boyish offstage, more playful. Onstage, he’s all serious and sexy. The fangirls and boys eat it up.

HanYin: Ki-tae-ya doesn’t change much from one to the other. He’s like this most of the time! He’s a big flirt on or off the stage!

Ki-tae: You’re a monk!

HanYin: I am not, I’m selective!

Ki-tae: Monk!

HanYin pounces on Ki-tae, putting him in a headlock. The two of them are known for their wrestling around. Cheongul just heaves a sigh.

Cheongul: See what I have to put up with? They’re always like this before a concert.

Fortunately, it doesn’t take long for HanYin and Ki-tae to settle down. Our time is almost up so I just have one more question to ask.

What’s next for Bam Kiseu?

Cheongul: We have tonight’s spring concert. It’s going to be a lot of fun.

HanYin: We plan on mixing it up a bit with some old stuff and some new tracks.

Ki-tae: And some new takes on some old tracks.

Cheongul: We also plan on releasing an album soon which will probably be a compilation of the songs performed tonight.

Ki-tae: Tonight’s show should prove to be unforgettable.

I have to say it was fun talking with Bam Kiseu and seeing the way they interact with each other in person. They’re always playful when I see them onstage and very professional when being interviewed on TV. I thought I would get the same when I sat down with them, but they seemed very laid back and relaxed. I look forward to tonight’s concert. See you there!

Blurb:

What could be frightening enough to freeze the blood of a centuries-old Vampire turned K-pop idol?

Being bound to someone.

University student Cheong Jin-woo dreams of working in the arts, especially for BL Entertainment and his favorite band, Bam Kiseu. After seeing the band perform, Jin-woo separates from his friends to explore. What he discovers backstage will change his life.

Does he embrace it or run?

Jung Ki-tae has kept his secret for centuries—until a young fan interrupts his feeding. Even more disturbing is the instant bond Ki-tae feels with Jin-woo—a complication he refuses to allow. Yet resisting becomes increasingly difficult as Jin-woo and a group of students win the chance to make a video for the band, working closely with them for weeks. The obsession Ki-tae felt toward Jin-woo—even before tasting his blood—deepens into genuine feelings, feelings that terrify Ki-tae. But when he finds a way to break the bond, he’s torn between severing the connection and protecting Jin-woo….

Jin-woo was late and Min-su was going to kill him, but if he hadn’t gone back to the studio, they wouldn’t have their visuals, and then she would have killed him slowly. He’d had to scramble to find someone with the keys, too, forcing him to miss all the other presentations. He never realized how hard it was to find maintenance personnel on a campus this size. When he finally reached Min-su, she looked scared as hell.

“What?” he asked. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“Um, I… I can’t breathe. I really… can’t.” Min-su puffed out her cheeks and fanned her face. “I didn’t…. If I had known, I would have chosen a different outfit. I would have done my hair, and my makeup is just…. Dammit. Why didn’t anyone tell me they were going to be here?”

“What the heck is she talking about, Jong-in-a?” Jin-woo demanded.

“We’re not just presenting to Park Soon-joon hyung,” Jong-in said quietly.

“It’s…. We’re…. Jin-woo-ya, Bam Kiseu is in that room!” Min-su said, grabbing him by his vest and shaking him back and forth. “HanYin oppa is in that room! Ki-tae oppa is in that room! Cheongul oppa is in that room!”

Jin-woo did the only thing he could think of. He slapped her.

Min-su stumbled back a few steps and just stared at him. Then she narrowed her eyes and came at him.

Jin-woo threw up his hands in defense of the punch coming his way.

“I’m sorry!” But it never landed. He peeked with one eye. Min-su looked completely calm.

“Thank you,” she said with a sigh. “I was losing my shit, and that’s not acceptable.”

“You’re good?” Jin-woo said.

“I’m good.”

“Good,” Jin-woo said as he began to shake. “I’m going to pass out now.”

And he did just that.

Jin-woo didn’t remember hitting the floor, but he figured that must have happened, as he was staring up at the ceiling with Min-su slapping his face and Jong-in looking terribly concerned. He caught Min-su’s wrist and held her hand to his face for a few moments, closing his eyes once more.

“No, you cannot pass out on us again. We’re up next, Jin-woo-ya!” Min-su said, an edge of desperation in her voice.

“I’m not going to pass out again. I just wanted you to stop slapping me and calm down,” he said. Then he slowly sat up, rubbing the back of his head. He looked at Jong-in and teased, “You couldn’t have caught me?”

“Nope, Min-su-ya was in the way.”

“Hey, this is not my fault,” she said, putting her hands on her hips.

“Well, you were shaking Jin-woo-ya pretty hard,” Jong-in pointed out. “There’s no need to panic. They’re people, just like us.”

No, not just like us, Jin-woo thought but wisely kept the words to himself.

Author Bio

An avid reader, E.T. finds inspiration in all her favorite genres, from mainstream romance by her favorite authors to Japanese manga and anime. To her, even the classic fairytales hold that spark of motivation and if there is one thing she has learned from her many years of writing solely for herself, it’s this: never deny the Muse, she gets cranky and pulls out the bullwhip. E.T. Malinowski is the youngest of seven girls. It was her love of reading that eventually led her to attempt writing. From there, a passion was born.

She began writing romance in her early teens and, at that time, never dreamed of sharing her work with anyone. With the help of several dear friends, not to mention her ex-husband, she found the courage to take that last step towards publication. As the single mother of three rambunctious boys, finding time to write is a bit difficult. Yet E.T. manages to do it, even if it’s on break or lunch at a regular day job.

She has found her place in homoerotic romance. To her, love doesn’t recognize gender rel=”noopener”boundaries and is always special. An avid reader, E.T. finds inspiration in all her favorite genres, from mainstream romance by her favorite authors to Japanese manga and anime. To her, even the classic fairytales hold that spark of motivation and if there is one thing she has learned from her many years of writing solely for herself, it’s this: never deny the Muse, she gets cranky and pulls out the bullwhip.